Uptown Psychiatry

Opioid addiction and dependency continues to devastate our community in Arizona. While prescriptions for high dose opioids has improved, it is still estimated that 8 to 12 percent of those prescribed opioids for chronic pain will develop opioid use disorder or “addiction.” Many of those struggling with opioid addiction will find themselves experiencing painful withdrawals and unmanageable cravings. 

People with anxiety disorders worry excessively and often feel overwhelmed by fear. Worry and fear are natural and normal responses to stress or danger, which is appropriate to these situations and can help people to focus and be alert. The apprehensive feelings that are typical of an anxiety disorder are felt almost every day, and may be overwhelming and difficult to manage. With an anxiety disorder, you may feel restless or you may feel your heart pound. You may experience muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and/or sleep disturbances. These symptoms can be severe enough to interfere with day-to-day activities in school, at work, or in social situations.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people after experiencing a dangerous, life threatening or shocking event.

A great way to understand PTSD is to imagine that you are in a forest being hunted by a bear. How would you feel? It would be difficult to concentrate and you would feel on edge. Your appetite would be nonexistent and you might as well forget about sleeping. It would be difficult to develop any type of meaningful relationships, or really to just feel comfortable in general. In this scenario, all of these feelings would seem appropriate and necessary for survival. Now imagine the bear is gone and you are no longer in the forest, but you continue to experience all of the same symptoms. That is how you can understand PTSD.

People often experience feelings of fear, stress and anxiety following a traumatic event. Some people also experience depression, flashbacks and insomnia. In fact, it is normal to experience these feelings shortly after going through something traumatic, and most traumatized people do not go on to experience long term (chronic) symptoms of PTSD.

It is estimated that more than 17 million adults in the United States (7.1%) experience at least one episode of major depression each year. Additionally, over 2 million adolescents aged 12-17 experience a major depressive episode each year. Most concerning is that 35% of adults and 60% of adolescents did not receive treatment.

When you have depression, you feel sad, empty, helpless, or hopeless almost every day, and the feelings generally last all day long for at least two weeks. It is normal to feel sad or anxious from time to time, but the feelings that come with depression are much stronger and persistent than the “ups and downs” of everyday life.

Feelings of major depression usually interfere with day-to-day activities with your family, school, at work, or in other social situations. Sometimes depression involves irritability, and may also cause physical symptoms such as fatigue, sleep difficulties, and weight changes. In severe cases, depression can also cause hopelessness, isolation and suicidal thoughts.

Depression After Pregnancy

It’s common for new moms to experience worry, sadness, and tiredness after having a baby. This is often referred to as the “baby blues”. However, when these symptoms are more severe and prolonged, it could be and be a sign of a more serious condition called postpartum depression.

The CDC has estimated that 1 in 8 new mothers experience symptoms of postpartum depression. In fact, the first year following childbirth is the time when women are most likely to develop depression.

Symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to symptoms of depression and include:

• Crying more often than usual.
• Feelings of anger.
• Withdrawing from loved ones.
• Feeling distant from your baby.
• Worrying or feeling overly anxious.
• Thinking about hurting yourself or your baby.
• Doubting your ability to care for your baby.

What is ADHD?

When we think of ADHD, we typically picture a hyperactive 6-year-old boy causing mayhem in the classroom. Unfortunately, the condition affects a much wider segment of the population and is often undiagnosed until adulthood.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric condition that affects both children and adults. The term Adult ADHD is actually a misnomer, as the condition is often diagnosed in adulthood but the symptoms have been present since early childhood. Unfortunately, the condition is often missed in childhood or diagnosed but left untreated.

ADHD is characterized by a variety of symptoms that can have a major impact on a person’s personal and professional success. It is estimated that 9% of children and 4% of adults in the United States have ADHD. The major symptoms include:

• Impulsiveness
• Disorganization and problems prioritizing
• Poor time management skills
• Problems focusing on a task
• Trouble multitasking
• Excessive activity or restlessness
• Poor planning
• Low frustration tolerance
• Frequent mood swings
• Problems following through and completing tasks
• Hot temper
• Trouble coping with stress

While most people will experience these symptoms at some point in their lives, those with ADHD will often recognize that they have been present and problematic for their entire lives. Identifying and treating ADHD in  adulthood is often an emotional and gratifying revelation after years of struggle.

Many of the symptoms of ADHD co-occur in other conditions as well, so if this article resonates with you or someone you know, please reach out to schedule an evaluation. In the typical Uptown fashion, we’ll complete a comprehensive confidential evaluation and explain the results and all treatment options in detail.

Insomnia is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms experienced by adults. Struggling to fall asleep and/or stay asleep can lead to significant physical and psychological consequences including fatigue, changes in mood, difficulty focusing resulting in problems and school or work and personal relationships. Furthermore, lack of sleep has the potential to worsen underlying anxiety, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD as well as medical conditions such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders and hormonal disorders. Insomnia can affect how we are able to cope with stress and can lead to substance use issues.

Everyone experiencing insomnia will report the same struggle, “I can’t sleep!” However, the cause of sleep disturbances can vary widely. Insomnia is caused by poor “sleep hygiene”, stress, underlying medical conditions, medication side effects, drug or alcohol use or an underlying psychological condition just to name a few. Insomnia can be short term (lasting less than a month) or chronic. Occasionally insomnia can be “primary,” meaning that the symptoms have been lifelong without an identifiable trigger.

It is important to approach insomnia by beginning with a comprehensive assessment to screen for possible causes. After identifying and stabilizing any contributing factors, the next step to evaluate “sleep hygiene.”